Welcome to IMB Acupuncture Blogger!

I have been served Greater Los Angeles community since 2003 as a Licensed Acupuncturist. I hope that this infomative blogger can help people with pain from simple strain to complicated herniated disk and Frozen Shoulder. While I've been in this pain specialized field for more than 10 years, I have helped thousands of people to pain free. David B Chung LAc.

Gua sha is used whenever a patient has pain
in any acute or chronic disorder. There may be aching, tenderness and/or a
knotty feeling in the muscles. Palpation reveals sha when normal finger
pressure on a patient's skin causes blanching that is slow to fade. In addition
to resolving musculo skeletal pain, Gua Sha is used to treat as well as prevent
common cold, flu, bronchitis, asthma, as well as any chronic disorder involving
pain or inflammation.

Where is Gua sha applied?

Gua sha can be done almost anywhere on the
body but is typically applied at the back, neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen,
buttocks and limbs. Gua sha is also applied over the joints but not without
first treating the channels that supply a joint area.

How is Gua sha applied?

The area to be treated is lubricated with
oil or balm*. The area to be treated is press-stroked in one direction with a
round-edged instrument until the petechiae are completely raised. Exactly how
to safely apply Gua sha, to whom and when is learned from a teacher of Gua sha.
(insert image of press stroking)

What kind of lubricant is used for Gua sha?

Thick oils such as peanut oil
were used as a lubricant in China.

What kind of instrument is used for Gua sha?

A soupspoon, coin, slice of water buffalo
horn or jade are used in Asia.

What does the type of sha indicate?

The color of the Sha is both diagnostic and
prognostic. A practitioner trained in Gua sha notes the color of the sha, its
quality and how fast it fades in making a ‘diagnosis’, that is, in assessing the
location, quality, mutability and pattern of a presenting problem.

How fast will the petechiae fade?

The Sha petechiae should fade in 2-4 days.
If it is slower to fade, indicating poor Blood circulation, the practitioner
must ascertain whether it is deficiency of Blood, Qi or Yang, a deeper
stagnation or organ deficiency at the root.

What are the benefits of Gua sha?

In most
cases the patient feels an immediate shift in their condition particularly in
their pain or sense of constraint, range of motion. In traditional medicine,
Gua Sha moves stuck Qi and Blood, releasing the Exterior, mimicking sweating
and moving Fluids.Modern
research has confirmed Gua sha reduces pain, inflammation while stimulating an
immune protective response that can persist for days following treatment. Gua
sha is a valuable treatment for musculoskeletal problems as well as internal
organ conditions including respiratory and hepatic inflammation.

Is Gua sha safe?

Gua sha is safe when done by someone
properly trained, and it is serious medicine. Knowing when to use it and what
to expect from treatment is as important as good technique. Because Gua sha
lifts cells out of the vascula and some of those cells may express from the
skin, a practitioner of Gua sha must respect guidelines of safety to eliminate
risk of exposure to blood borne pathogens.

Gua Sha is a technique that is designed to
remove scar tissue and adhesions and thus improving blood flow and muscle
movement.

It became such a phenomenon ever since Michael Phelps showed up on Olympic swimming with cupping marks.

Through suction, the skin is drawn into the cup by creating a vacuum in
the cup placed on the skin over the targeted area. The vacuum can be
created either by the heating and subsequent cooling of the air in the
cup, or via a mechanical pump.
The cup is usually left in place for somewhere between five and fifteen
minutes. It is believed by some to help treat pain, deep scar tissues
in the muscles and connective tissue, muscle knots, and swelling.

Dry cupping

Bamboo cups

The cupping procedure commonly involves creating a small area of low
air pressure next to the skin. However, there are varieties in the tools
used, the methods of creating the low pressure, and the procedures
followed during the treatment.
The cups can be various shapes including balls or bells, and may
range in size from 1 to 3 inches (25 to 76 mm) across the opening.
Plastic and glass are the most common materials used today, replacing
the horn, pottery, bronze and bamboo cups used in earlier times. The low
air pressure required may be created by heating the cup or the air
inside it with an open flame or a bath in hot scented oils, then placing
it against the skin. As the air inside the cup cools, it contracts and
draws the skin slightly inside. More recently, vacuum can be created
with a mechanical suction pump acting through a valve located at the top
of the cup. Rubber cups are also available that squeeze the air out and
adapt to uneven or bony surfaces.
In practice, cups are normally used only on softer tissue that can
form a good seal with the edge of the cup. They may be used singly or
with many to cover a larger area. They may be used by themselves or
placed over an acupuncture needle. Skin may be lubricated, allowing the
cup to move across the skin slowly.
Depending on the specific treatment, skin marking is common after the
cups are removed. This may be a simple red ring that disappears
quickly, the discolouration left by the cups is normally from bruising
especially if dragging the cups while suctioned from one place to
another to break down muscle fiber. Usually treatments are not painful.

Fire cupping

Fire
cupping involves soaking a cotton ball in 99% alcohol. The cotton is
then clamped by a pair of forceps and lit via match or lighter. The
flaming cotton ball is then, in one fluid motion, placed into the cup,
quickly removed, and the cup is placed on the skin. Fire heats the
inside of the cup and a small amount of suction is created by the air
cooling down again and contracting. Massage oil may be applied to create
a better seal as well as allow the cups to glide over muscle groups
(e.g. trapezius, erectors, latisimus dorsi, etc.) in an act called
"moving cupping". Dark circles may appear where the cups were placed
because of rupture of the capillaries just under the skin, but are not
the same as a bruise caused by blunt-force trauma. There are documented
cases of burns caused by fire cupping.

Wet cupping

Wet cupping is also known as Al-Hijamah or medicinal bleeding.
Today, wet
cupping is a popular remedy practiced in many parts of the Muslim world
.
Alternatively, mild suction is created using a cup and a pump (or
heat suction) on the selected area and left for about three minutes. The
cup is then removed and small superficial skin incisions are made using
a cupping scalpel. A second suction is used to carefully draw out a
small quantity of blood.
In Finland, wet cupping has been done at least since the 15th
century, and it is done traditionally in saunas. The cupping cups were
made of cattle horns with a valve mechanism in it to create an partial
vacuum by sucking the air out. Cupping is still used in Finland as an
alternative medicine.

Everyone has by now heard of CrossFit, the strength and conditioning
program that has taken the exercise world by storm. It’s a specific
style of working out that uses a wide variety of exercises, including
running, rowing, plyometrics, gymnastics, weight training and Olympic
weightlifting techniques. It is a workout style well known for its pain,
and also its camaraderie. Every block seems to have a CrossFit gym
popping up, and we treat many patients who are in love with the sport.
CrossFit gets you in great shape, but because of the intense nature of
the workouts, it can also get you injured.
CrossFit coaches put enormous focus on teaching proper lifting form
to their students. It is one of the cornerstones of the workouts, and
key to getting good results. For people who disregard the importance of
form, or do too much too fast, injury is often a common occurrence. For
some, even if you power snatch and dead lift with impeccable form, old
injuries and imbalances can come to the surface and demand attention.
The most common areas of injury we see in our CrossFit patients are
the low back, shoulders, neck and knees. Many WODs (workout of the day)
involve heavy weight or high repetition, and these areas are often
affected because they involve transitional vertebrae (neck and low back)
or joints with many types of range of motion (the knees and shoulders),
which are more susceptible to injury. The great news it that
acupuncture is an amazing tool for CrossFit athletes.
Acupuncture is one of the most effective and noninvasive ways to
treat pain, and improve range of motion and functionality in a muscle
group. We use traditional techniques to relieve pain and tension, as
well as trigger point acupuncture to release targeted muscles. Rather
then allowing an injury to linger and having to modify every workout,
athletes can get treatment and correct the problem, preventing further
imbalance in the muscles and overall body structure. It allows for
faster recovery time, which lets you get back to doing the sport you
love. We all know how much you would hate to miss a “filthy fifty”.
Whether you are a CrossFit beginner, or training for the games, acupuncture will help you get back into the box.

About Me

I have been served Greater Los Angeles community since 2003 as a Licensed Acupuncturist. I hope that this infomative blogger can help people with pain from simple strain to complicated herniated disk and Frozen Shoulder. While I've been in this pain specialized field for more than 10 years, I have helped thousands of people to pain free. David B Chung LAc.